$136B North Texas transportation plan clears key environmental hurdle

Author

Published

Share it

Dive Brief:

The Department of Transportation has determined that the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ $136.4 billion, 20-year transportation plan meets federal air quality requirements, a decision that allows the council to move forward with future projects as well as continue those currently underway.

The Mobility 2045 plan and other long- and short-term transportation plans in the region require federal approval because 10 of the 12 counties in North Central Texas — Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise — exceed the threshold level of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone pollution. DOT's approval also extends to the council's 2019-2022 Transportation Improvement Program, which will draw on federal, state and local funds for shorter-term projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.

The North Central Texas region is expected to grow in population by 51% between 2018 and 2045 and experience a 47% increase in employment during the same period. The Mobility 2045 plan is expected to help support economic growth in the region and includes $37.5 billion of spending for infrastructure maintenance projects; $9.5 billion for management and operations; $33.3 billion for rail and bus systems; $3.2 billion for growth, development and land use; and $51.9 billion for high-occupancy vehicle and managed lanes, freeways, tollways and arterials.

Dive Insight:

North Central Texas is not the only area of the state with huge transportation projects underway. In Houston, Ferrovial Agroman, which is leading the Grand Parkway Infrastructure joint venture, recently kicked off construction on the last piece of the 184-mile Grand Parkway, a $1.2 billion loop around the metro.

Grand Parkway Infrastructure’s $855 million contract will see construction of the loop’s last 52.5-mile segment. This final phase will include a tolled, two-lane controlled access facility, four toll lanes, modern tolling equipment and 75 new or rehabilitated bridges. The project is slated for completion in 2022.

Texas Central Partners' estimated $12 billion to $15 billion high-speed rail system is another ongoing infrastructure project that will one day link the Dallas and Houston metros. Early work on the project is underway, with Lane Construction Corp. leading civil construction and Bechtel acting as project manager. Texas Central has also made Fluor Enterprises, Lane and WSP part of the planning and engineering team.